Youngsters urged to 'drink smart'

By Ewan Turney

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Drinks industry Alcohol abuse Drinking culture Alcoholism

Beer Goggles: one of the poster campaigns
Beer Goggles: one of the poster campaigns
The drinks industry has launched a new £100m campaign urging youngsters to pace themselves on a night out. The "Why let the good times go bad?"...

The drinks industry has launched a new £100m campaign urging youngsters to pace themselves on a night out.

The "Why let the good times go bad?" campaign, run by the Drinkaware Trust, will present tips on smarter drinking on posters, drink mats, stickers and shelf strips.

Tips will also appear on 13m products including neck labels on bottles, cans and multi-packs.

As part of the campaign, pubs and bars are being urged to offer free pints of water to help customers pace their drinking.

The campaign has been launched as new research shows that almost one in four 18-24 year-olds have been ashamed of their appearance when drunk, 25% have not known how they got home and just under half (48%) have vomited after drinking too much. A total of 32% said they did not need advice on alcohol.

"Some young adults think they know all there is to know about alcohol, but simple tips like eating before going out drinking, pacing yourself with water or soft drinks, looking after your mates and planning your journey home, can help them stay safe and prevent their good times going bad," said Drinkaware chief executive Chris Sorek.

"Parents, teachers, health professionals, charities, the drinks industry and central and local governments all have a part to play in reducing the harm caused to young people by alcohol misuse."

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said education was key. "We must educate our young people that binge drinking is socially unacceptable and can have grave consequences. This is not just the responsibility of the Government, but for us all, and that is why I am pleased the drinks industry is making this commitment."

Health secretary Andy Burnham also welcomed the initiative. "The alcohol industry has a big responsibility to tackle excessive drinking and there are many things we can do, by working together, to promote a healthy attitude to alcohol. This campaign is a good step forward — I hope it will help to change attitudes."  

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